We’re All Mad Here — Celebrating National Letter Writing Month & Our Crazy Friends + Expressionery Giveaway
![[On the Blog] Celebrating National Letter Writing Month and Our Crazy Friends + Expressionery Giveaway!](https://stampington.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/DSC10651.jpg)
Project by Sarah Donawerth.
In college, I had a friend who was always up for anything. We spent hours in a tiny dorm room watching YouTube videos of cats, we celebrated Classic Movie Night Mondays, we went to a late night dance party in the library during finals week. We saw strange art exhibits on campus and got dressed up in vintage outfits for Dapper Day at Disneyland. My craziest ideas never seemed to deter her and we always had a raucous wherever we went.
To celebrate National Letter Writing Month, I decided to send a mini art journal to this friend who helped me to always express my true, crazy self. I borrowed from “Alice in Wonderland” and made this quote the basis for my journal:
“You’re mad. Bonkers. Off your head … but I’ll tell you a secret … all of the best people are.”
Supplies:
- Moleskine Postal Notebook in Tea Green
- Ranger Ink Distress Crayons – Set 2 Muted Brights
- Ranger Texture Paste – 4 oz
- Stabilo Woody 3 in 1 Pencil Set
Cover:
- Prima Marketing Finnabair Elementals Stencil – Doily
- Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Cling Mount Stamp Set Correspondence
Page 1:
- The Crafter’s Workshop Harlequin Stencil – 6 x 6
- Wendy Vecchi Embossing Powder – Fern Green
- Distress Embossing Ink
Page 2:
- Stencil Girl Borders Stencil by Michelle Ward
- Ranger Ink Tim Holtz Distress Ink Minis – Kit 11 (Shabby Shutters)
- Ranger Ink Tim Holtz Distress Ink Minis – Kit 6 (Gathered Twigs)
- Advantus Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tissue Tape – Sketchbook
Directions:
Computer generate or type your quote on a typewriter and cut out.
Cover
On the outside, use texture paste through the doily stencil to decorate the corner. Let dry completely.
Blend green and yellow Distress Crayons over the design and add accents. Blend into crevices with your finger.
Stamp designs from Correspondence set and add Tim Holtz ChitChat Stickers.
“You’re mad. Bonkers. Off your head …” Page
![[On the Blog] Celebrating National Letter Writing Month and Our Crazy Friends + Expressionery Giveaway!](https://stampington.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/DSC10671.jpg)
Dab the embossing ink pad through the Harlequin stencil in each corner and sprinkle with Fern Green embossing powder. Use a heat tool to set your embossed design.
Scribble Distress Crayons over the entire page in a patchwork design of random squares and rectangles. Use a water brush to even out your color. Note: You do not need to press hard on this page. Just color the page and blend with water. If you need more color, scribble a little more on the page and blend with more water until desired effect is achieved.
Adhere your quote and outline with a Stabilo pencil.
“But I’ll tell you a secret …” Page
![[On the Blog] Celebrating National Letter Writing Month and Our Crazy Friends + Expressionery Giveaway!](https://stampington.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/DSC10681.jpg)
Apply texture paste through a border stencil on each end of your pages. Let dry.
Color the rest of the page with mustard Distress Crayon (not texture paste design). Blend crayon with water.
Rub Shabby Shutters green ink over the texture paste borders. Rub enough to cover the entire top of the raised design.
With Gathered Twigs ink very lightly over the surface of the texture paste, allowing it to just highlight certain pieces of the raised design.
Put a piece of Sketchbook tissue tape behind each quote piece and outline the quote with Stabilo pencil. Note: For an added bit of color, color the tissue tape with Distress Crayons and blend with your finger.
Sarah Donawerth is a writer, blogger, and crafter from Lake Forest, California. Her work has appeared in Jewelry Affaire, GreenCraft Magazine, Somerset Home, Somerset Apprentice, Bella Grace, and Stuffed. Follow her as she crafts whatever her heart desires at www.sarahdonawerth.com.
Enter to Win a set of 20 stationery + a custom stamp from Expressionery – a $74 Value!
[This giveaway has ended.]
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We love Expressionery, and their spring designs are the perfect way to brighten up your letter writing for National Letter Writing Month. Don’t forget to complete the look and feel you are trying to achieve by pairing your beautiful personalized stationery with a custom stamp. There is something to fit every personality and mood on Expressionery.com.To celebrate National Letter Writing Month, Expressionery has also graciously provided the chance to win a set of stationery and custom stamp! |
For your chance to win:
- Use the social media share buttons above to share your favorite image and comment below with the URL to let us know you’ve entered.
- Also, comment below telling us who you’d like to send a letter to and why for a bonus entry!
*Winners will be randomly selected for our Expressionery giveaway and contacted via email. Contest is open to U.S. residents only, and ends 4/20/16 at 11:59pm PST.
Posted: Tuesday, April 5th, 2016 @ 11:57 am
Categories: Contests and Giveaways, How-To Project Tutorials.
Tags: Expressionery, Giveaway, letter writing, letters, mini art journal, mixed-media art, mixed-media artwork, mixed-media inspiration, mixed-media journal projects, Moleskine postal notebook, National Letter Writing Month, postal notebook.
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Posted on fb.
I love sending hand made thank you notes to people who don’t expect it. I send them every time I win a prize.
https://www.facebook.com/jean.marmo.5
I need to send a letter to my Momma- she wrote me every single day back when I was away at college…talk about a doll! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love the yellow pages, I posted and shared to FB I would love to win this prize Thanks for the opportunity!!
I will write to my family all over the US and friends who may have forgotten how to send a letter…….Thank you for the great ideas and products.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/272819689905587350/
I’m participating in the Write_On challenge to write 30 letters in 30 days. It’s so much fun to brighten the mailboxes of family and friends with kind and beautiful messages!
https://www.facebook.com/donna.braatenbudzynski?fref=nf
I do send hand written letters, everyone says why? Because when I am gone you will cherish them. (well I hope they do) I look at my Mom and Dads hand written items and they mean so much since they have passed.
Letter writing seems like a lost art,almost. I love writing letters on beautiful stationary. I also like making my own stationary, I think people like it so much. I would write to my Aunt Mary Ellen, she’s my great~aunt who doesn’t communicate through social media, she’s old school & would rather recieve a handwritten letter. Thank you so much for a chance at this wonderful letter writing gift to personaiize letters.Your publications are amazing & lovely. I pinned the above & put on facebook. Thank you so much.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/78320480999100904/
I have a dear friend in another state and we send each other cards and letters all the time. We have fun with it.
As much as I like social media, I still prefer writing and sending cards and letters. I make my own cards and send out approximately 250 cards per year. There is nothing like reading a handwritten letter or reading a real book.
I love to send my art sisters mail art with little messages tucked inside…and I love to receive letters back!
I would love to win the letter writing gift!!! I have great friends that I see only once a year that I would love to write to…. Most of all I’d like to write a letter to my mom…she loved hand written letters…and send them to her in Heaven.
Shared on FB AND PINNED!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/76631631138259624/
I would send letters to my mom and nephew,they just moved to Atlanta and I miss them very much.
I haven’t written my friend in New York for ages! We have always loved to write to each other but have fallen behind. Need to start that up again and a lovely stationery would do just that! Thanks.
I love the yellow page, best.
https://www.pinterest.com/ellasedge/ideas-for-journals/
I would like to write my Nannie Nonnie, who is in heaven. She bought a painting from me, when I turned the tender age of ten. She was my fairy grandmother and told me I was an artist~
You can find my offering here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BD1lKrPsuYt/
I love sending letters to my mom and daughters.
Blessings!
I need to send a letter to someone that I love, who will appreciate the lost art of letter writing.
also posted on FB
I tried to copy url on my FB share but it gave me a mile long paste! Ugh! I shared the yellow envelope, as I would love to send my momma in Assisted living a fun letter like this!!! I love Expressionery too!
I posted and shared to FB and Google Plus page. I love sending handwritten letters.
Oh my goodness, I love the journal and Alice in Wonderland quote! My BFF since 6th grade and I write weekly and sometimes even more!!! We love fun mail! Your site brings me such inspiration for our snail mail! Many thanks and hugs too! Sheri
I still love writing letters…it’s a gift of love I still love to share with my friends.
Wow – lovely!! I shared on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/290060032232116277/
I love writing letters – I still have a penpal!!
I would love to send a beautiful letter to my sister – my forever friend!!!
I love the yellow pages with the words “but i’ll tell you a secret”. I love writing letters or sending handmade cards. It’s so much more personal that way. I’d love to send something like this to my dear friend in CA. BFF’s for over 34 years now. We haven’t seen each other for 2 years now and we miss each other dearly. Saving on Pinterest. Sharing on fb.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/61291244906976617/
So lovely! What a joy it would be to win!!
Thank yoU!
I absolutely love Spring. I commented here. Jacqueline
https://stampington.com/blog/2016/03/25/celebrate-season-7-spring-projects/#comment-83321
I know this might sound strange but I love writing letters to my mom who is no longer with us. It is very comforting to ask her a question or work out a problem by writing it down. I sometimes write on things that are not necessarily stationary products so it would be nice to have the real stuff to go with the others I use.
My BFF and I still send letters and cards to each other via snail mail. It’s so uplifting to get something in the mail besides bills, credit card offers and bogus prize notifications!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/494973815276551768/
My friend Sally Sue kept all the letters (and decorated envelopes) I sent after I moved away over 25 years ago & sent them all to me a couple years ago so I’d have a diary of those years :) Now we email, but I’d love to win & surprise her with a ‘real letter’ like I used to send!
I send a letter to my Mom to tell her all the things that go unsaid.
Carol b
This cover page (and mini art journal) is so cheerful and is sure to make anyone who receives it happy! What a wonderful idea that I definitely plan to use to send to my dearest friend. She and I have been there for each other through many ups and downs. We now live in different states so cards, text, and phone calls occasionally have to do.
Thank you for the inspiration!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/277041814555958327/
I posted on Pinterest and I love to send cards and letters to my friend, Nancy, in Texas. She needs extra cheering up right now so I am sending letters and cards and bracelets to help her with her mood.
yes, I did share on my FB page. { no. 3 image }. & of who I’d like to write to …that would be an old friend…who finally answered my many letters , that I’ve written to her over the past 20 years { of coaxing her to write back to me.} f.y.i. = her letter was a long one, indeed ~ catching me up on her life’s events of over 20 years.
I shared on my google plus. Not sure how to post the url but my user name is Joyce Casaldi.
Shared on Facebook. Hope to win!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1020728834640895&id=100001113641405&ref=bookmarks
I’m going to send a letter to my Aunt. I just found out about her when I finally met my birth father last October. Just this week she sent me an album with photos of my mom & dad and of myself when I was still less then a year old. A real treasure for me!! I need to write her a thank you and tell her all about myself and my children.
I posted at Pinterest on my Postal Art board. I love sending letters and cards to family and friends! Most recently, my aunt and uncle have been dealing with some health issues, so they are who I need to write to soon!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/162903711500162973/
Thanks for the great tutorial!
I posted and shared to Facebook
I believe letter writing is a lost art
What a lovely giveaway I hope I win!
I’m an active penpal snail mailer. I believe in the written word, letter, note, etc. I also write RAKs for people who are ill, going through chemo, etc.
Posted a link on my Pinterest Artspiration board.
Posted on pinterest. Love the yellow “but I’ll tell you”. I have a great friend who sends me the best cards/envelopes and try to do the same for her. Would love to win…..Really enjoy the national craft month on pinterest.
I pinned to my Craft Ideas board. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/193162271496969024/
I’d love to send a letter to my old college friend, Emilie. In fact, I think I will.
I was in the military and received many letters from my family and friends I met over the years. I have kept the letters and when I re-read them it helps to remind me of the wonderful people, events and travels in my life. I still write letters and try to find beautiful stationery to write to acquaintances in far away places.
I saved more than one picture as inspiration on my Pinterest page (Mothergoose7)
I would love to send one of these to a dear friend named Monica. She always remembers holidays, birthdays, and even anniversaries and believes in sending REAL letters and cards LOL. She is my inspiration and I know how much she would love this!
Id like to send a letter to my girlfriend. She loves getting fun mail.
I shared my fav image on Pinterest. I love to send unexpected letters to my kids who live too many miles apart from me. They would love the stationery!
I am in a retirement home with so many who need cheery surprises and have no idea this form of art exists/ What fun this could be if I win.
Great post, I pinned here, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/63331938488488721/
I would love to send a letter to my best friend since Kindergarten. She is now fighting breast cancer and would love the encouragement a loving letter can bring.
I would write poetry to all the ones I love. I have been dreaming of doing just so. *
I would send a letter to my former neighbor. I miss her, and her city. I love paper and have been practicing my calligraphy. Thanks! :)
Great post I shared on Facebook
I want to send notes or letters to all my friends
I just love the tut Sarah! Thanks for fixing the link!
I’m trying to bring back ‘snail mail’. I make my own cards and love mail art! Pick me !
this is awesome, love the journal letter! My daughter could use a little love by mail, she’s stressing about life in her last few weeks of college.
pinned https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1337074868904951/
Pinned!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/516928863461151239/
I should send a letter to my long-time friend, Jennifer!
Pinned!!!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/122019471132789247/
I would like to send to my daughter, she would love to receive a note like this.
I have 20 plus pen pals would love to honor them!!
I would send a letter to my great grand daughter, she love mail. TFS.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/18999629656922555/
Sarah Donawerth’s use of color in this letter journal to her girlfriend is great! She also used one of my favorite quotes from Alice In Wonderland!
(Sorry, but my Pinterest account is actually under grandmabrowne)
I shared on twitter here:
https://twitter.com/karenladd/status/719748270839345152
And I write letters and send cards all the time! I correspond with several elderly relatives who don’t even own a computer and always love my notes and cards.
I’d like to send a letter to my cousin who has been unable to connect through FB do to their health.
I would send this to my snail mail friend! She would be delighted…and then I would make one just for me.
Don’t do social media, so thanks for offering an alternative entry. I’d send letters to my grandchildren and to friends who have stayed in touch since forever ago. Snail mail is fun to reread when you come across it later. So much more friendly than email!
I posted your wonderful offer onto two of my Pinterest Boards: “Stampington & Co.” ~ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/561613016014021129/
and, “Writing” ~ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/561613016014021132/
~ under my Pinterest nom de plume “Eve”. :-) Thank you for this lovely contest! Now, I’m not sure if I am supposed to send in an additional comment for the bonus entry – I hope I don’t disqualify myself because I didn’t understand the directions. Anyway, I’ll post my second comment below ~ thanks again for this opportunity to win such a yummy prize ~ you guys are the greatest!
Here is my post for the bonus entry. I would love love love to send a letter to my Goddaughter – who just gave birth to her first baby – a beautiful baby girl! It would be my joy and delight to write to her and the little one, with my brand new fancy stationery! And, since I adore beautiful writing paper and poetry and sending notes to my dear friends, I have a number of additional luvvies I’d like to send a letter in honor of National Letter Writing Month! Soooo, it is with great hope and fingers crossed that I give this bonus entry to you. Thank you again for this opportunity ~ and the fun of seeing some the gorgeous stationery that is available.
Would love to send mail art to Laura C in Michigan as she loves all things crafty. I’ve pinned both pages. Great little project!
The top letter is especially lovely because you have instant art from the moment you open your mailbox. I too practice the “ancient art” of letter writing and card making, I would send my first custom letter to my sister who means the world to me and I like to let her know every chance I get…
I love writing letters and would write to close friends and family. I love the “art” of it – the fountain pen, stationery or note card, wax seals and sometimes I use an old fashioned manual typewriter to write short notes!
https://www.pinterest.com/azarrona/creative-studio/
I would write to close friends and family. I appreciate and enjoy the “art” of letter writing. The stationery or note card, fountain pen, wax seal and sometimes I even drag out my manual typewriter for a short note. Thanks!
https://www.pinterest.com/azarrona/creative-studio/
shared my favorite image on pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124693483410948035/
i like to send letters and cards to my mom, my family. my daughter and i also write to her penpals, she’s 6, so it’s a team effort. :)
I shared the giveaway on pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/421297740123239214/
I would write to my sister. She sends me letters with news clippings and photos. It would be nice to send her something different and cool.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/221098662935097874/ love to write letters to my grammie in rhode island
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SusanSmoaks/posts/N1gd9TySNbj
i like to write love letters to my husband.
I shared on FB https://www.facebook.com/rachel.seattle.3/posts/459288090934363
I would love to send some beautiful letters to my friends who just stayed at our home and sent a thank you letter on some gorgeous handpainted stationery! I would love to return with something beautiful and continue the conversation. I’d also like to start a “conversation” with my sisters who love pretty things and would enjoy something nice in their mailboxes!
I would send them to brother because he is in Germany and have not seen him in over a year.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/232639136979843790/
Shared!
https://plus.google.com/114638515279612276801
I would love to send a letter to my Grandma. We are in MI and Grandma is in FL. She loves snail mail! :)
Would love to send to my Grandma because I miss her!
I shared on Twitter!
Bonus entry! I would send a letter to my best friend in Colorado. She loves tangible mail as much as me!
I shared on Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/228276274841013690/
I love to write letters to my granddaughter.
I shared on Google+: https://plus.google.com/105344691080579471269/posts/L44PrL2sCHF
I would write letter to my very good friends who live out-of-state. I still send letters to a few people throughout the year.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/251990541628844763/
I would send to my daughter who is going into the Navy. She only gets 2 short phone calls for the first 8 weeks but unlimited letters! I plan to keep her updated on home so she won’t be too homesick!
I shared the photo on Pinterest here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/58406126396187657/
I would love to send a letter to my sister. I miss her very much.
I shared! https://www.pinterest.com/pin/77898268533579714/
I would love to send a letter to my grandma! She is going through a lot of medical stuff right now so I know a letter would be a lot :)
Fb share;
https://www.facebook.com/missy.marie.77985/posts/554336724728082
I would send a card to my Dad back home in Michigan, miss him.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/469429961140687347/
I pinned on Pinterest. I would love to send a letter to my BFF. We live on opposite coasts but we have been letter writing for over twenty-eight years. :)
I shared on FB ~ https://www.facebook.com/clair.freebie/posts/1176045759103031 and I we sent correspondence with my friend over in Washington often (I’m in NY)!
My son is in college and I would love to send him a letter using the nice giveaway stationary. I have a rubberstamp that says, “Handwritten Letter by:______ Just for you: the lost art of the handwritten letter. My thoughts in pen and paper with love. Letters Mingle souls”. When he was home I would write letters and put them in a plastic mailbox in front of his bedroom door. He loved the letters and it was a great way to communicate our love to each other. What a surprise to send him more letters to his dorm at college.
http://pin.it/dMm_PTy This is the picture I love the most. It’s the first one, the cover photo. I’d like to write my son. It’s more personal than texting I think. We moved to a different state than him a little over a year ago. It’s the farthest we’ve ever lived apart and I miss him very much.
I am certainly inspired to write a letter to a dear friend…who just sent me a letter!
Pinned to Pinterest! Oh, if I could send a letter to my dear friends in Alabama and Alaska with this fine set it would be terrific!
I would write a letter to my Mom. She passed away four years ago and I miss her terribly. There are still so many things I want to tell her. I would give anything to be able to hug her again and tell her I love her.
p.s. I pinned my fave cover https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/bookmarklet/?media=https%3A%2F%2Fstampington.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F04%2FDSC10651.jpg&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstampington.com%2Fblog%2F2016%2F04%2F05%2Fmad-celebrating-national-letter-writing-month-crazy-friends-expressionery-giveaway%2F%3Futm_source%3DStampington%2B%2526%2BCompany%26utm_campaign%3D08c2719d8f-Creative_Impulse_2016_04_20%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_term%3D0_916c207796-08c2719d8f-7795685%26mc_cid%3D08c2719d8f%26mc_eid%3D009ef0a88e&%20is_video=false&description=We%E2%80%99re%20All%20Mad%20Here%20%E2%80%94%20Celebrating%20National%20Letter%20Writing%20Month%20&%20Our%20Crazy%20Friends%20%20%20Expressionery%20Giveaway%20%7C%20Somerset%20Place%20The%20Official%20Blog%20of%20Stampington%20%20Company=
I love to send handmade notes to the ill in our church. I feel it adds a personal touch.
shared on fbook as Sherri Sav
https://www.facebook.com/sherri.sav.1/posts/934353823329887
I would love to send a letter to my younger brother, he has terminal cancer. I know receiving something like this would cheer him up.
I have made stationary as gifts. The recipient loved the set. I would love to win a set. Ts write to my sister more often. And to other seniors at the ?7tritio Center where I teach craft and art projects
I love the “mad” journal idea–and must add Emily Dickinson’s poem “Madness is Divinest Sense”
Do I have to clean bathrooms or can I get out a blank journal and play?